Man gets 15 years for child porn

Published 5:00 am Sunday, April 29, 2012

EUGENE — An Oregon man who confessed guilt to child pornography charges has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

The government and the father of a 12-year-old girl who had been used in the production of material had asked U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken to impose a 30-year sentence on Terrance Anthony Sunseri of Springfield.

Aiken opted for the 15-year sentence Friday after defense experts testified the man suffered from undiagnosed Asperger’s syndrome.

Aiken said the evidence convinced her that Sunseri could not be held to the same standards as a normal adult. She said she would ask federal prison officials to place him in a program with the proper “resources, structure and guidance” to equip him for life on the outside.

Clinical and forensic neuropsychologist Dennis Swiercinsky testified that Sunseri had the autism-spectrum neurological disorder, which causes social detachment, a lack of empathy, an inability to understand nuances in social interactions.

Swiercinsky said Sunseri couldn’t conform to the law because the disorder impaired his ability to adapt to social norms. He also suggested that Sunseri’s inability to communicate with women his own age led to a “lack of normal sexual experience,” which might have prompted his focus on children.

Though Sunseri failed to get treatment as a child, psychologist Leslie Carter, an autism expert, told Aiken that the 25-year-old man has “a good prognosis” with appropriate treatment.

In seeking the tougher sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney AnneMarie Sgarlata disagreed with the notion that Sunseri didn’t understand the seriousness of his actions. She said Sunseri waited until other adults in the house were in bed before giving alcohol to the children he abused. He also used an “anonymizer” device to try to disguise his computer and attempted to smash the machine when the FBI arrived at his door with a search warrant.

The father of the 12-year-old victim testified toward the end of the three-hour hearing, urging Aiken to protect future children by imposing the maximum sentence.

“This crime is more than just ink and paper,” the father said. “It has stolen our children’s innocence, destroyed their sense of trust and sense of self.”